Okay, so if you’ve ever been to dinner at my house there’s a very good chance I served you a truly delicious dish: salmon covered in pesto and crusted in pistachio nuts. What you might not know is that if you come over to my house again … you will likely be served the same thing. 

I have one go-to dish that I especially like to whip up for company because it's: easy to make, quick to cook, absolutely delicious. A win-win-win! While it might look impressive on the plate, it is fairly simple to put together, so I have decided to give you a peek behind the curtain. 

This is actually a recipe that my college roommate (thats Amanda) passed on to me when we were living together and wanted to mix things up from the chicken we grilled on our George Foreman every other day. 

Ingredients: 

*A fillet of salmon (the size will really depend on how many people you are trying to feed). The salmon is the star of the show, so try to opt for the freshest option you can find (in Gainesville this means heading to Northwest Seafood). 

*A BIG heap of pesto (bonus points if you make it from scratch. Pesto is fairly easy to make, really only dirties up one more dish, and the store-bought stuff can be super expensive. So, if you have time--go homemade. 

Homemade pesto consists of:

1. Olive Oil (we already know we prefer ours from Saporito)
2. Garlic
3. Pine Nuts - chopped tiny (we recommend using a food processor if you have one)

*A ton of crushed pistachio nuts (pro time-saving tip: get them pre-shelled). If they are not shelled, you will want to allow at least 30-minutes (and be willing to break a nail) popping those hard shells off. Then, chop them up nice and small (in between a crumble and dust) using a chopper if you have one. 

Best of all - you can prep the fish early and let it marinade in the pesto. Just smear the fish with your sauce, which will also help your nuts to stick, and then pat the pistachios around the fish on all sides. 

Finally, cook the fish for approximately 40 minutes at 350 degrees (cooking times will vary based on your oven, the size of your fish, your altitude, cooking dish, etc.).

Serve your dish with: quinoa or brown rice, asparagus with cherry tomatoes, and green beans with pine nuts and red onions.